Memorabilia

Translation/Interpretation/Caption Text:

Sighting: Cairo, July 2014

Arabic translation:

(text at top)

Memorabilia (memorial picture/post card)

It is not easy to carry the trust

Depicted is Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, the current president of Egypt

Basically this is a completely dehistoricized and augmented image of the original Palestinian poster. Here Sisi is depicted as carrying Egypt's burdens and history: the pyramids, Al-Azhar, the shantytowns in the background, etc. It is not a spoof but rather a sympathetic image suggesting that his load is very heavy and requires a herculean effort. Ironically, Al-Aqsa is in the image as if to imply that he is a guardian of Jerusalem as well. Given that the majority of Egyptians are unfamiliar with the original poster, this can be easily pitched as a novel work of art.